SweFOR/Kristna Fredsrörelsen Colombia 2022-2025

Note 14 April 2025: The results will be updated with 2024 data once annual partner reporting is submitted. The results below reflect the latest available data for 2023. In 2023, SweFOR conducted 645 days of protective accompaniment, exceeding its target by 45 days. A total of 164 individuals from 10 organizations were accompanied, representing an increase from 2022 (105 individuals from 8 organizations). Of those accompanied, 101 were women and 23% were of Afro-Colombian descent. Partner organizations highlighted the positive impact of SweFORs presence, noting enhanced security and increased legitimacy with both regional and national stakeholders, which in turn strengthened their ability to influence change. SweFOR also conducted 19 self-protection and security workshops with 30 different organizations, with 65% of participants being women and 28% Afro-descendants. A key milestone from 2022 was the opening of a permanent office in Villavicencio, which enabled SweFOR to expand its presence further in 2023 to departments such as Casanare. In these new areas, efforts focused on building dialogue and communication channels with local actors, including the public force and the regional ombudsman, thereby raising awareness and visibility of SweFORs mission. Additionally, in 2023, SweFOR revised its internal procedures and adapted its working methods to be more agile and responsive to the evolving needs of human rights defenders. This allowed the organization to increase its capacity to provide accompaniment in a more efficient and time-sensitive manner.

The overall objective of the intervention is To strengthen and advance human rights defenders and organisations processes related to land and environmental protection, the right to a life in peace and the eradication of gender-based violence, impunity and the militarization of civil life, in Colombia. For achieving this goal, four specific outcomes have been drawn up: 1. Accompanied Human Rights defenders perceive their security, legitimacy and scope of action has broaden, allowing them to organise and foster peace, justice and the construction of a non-violent society processes; 2. Human Rights defenders who participate in security and protection capacity building trainings, have increased their knowledge for timely and sound follow-up and assessments as well as defining proper digital security procedures; 3. Duty bearers listen to human rights defenders demands and timely react to threats and potential risks to ensure defenders' security; 4. Duty bearers have updated and detailed information on human rights defenders situation to provide relevant and timely protection measures, including public statements reinforcing the rights to free expression and association.